Developed by and with the local community, an NP must represent the needs of its local area. Therefore creating an NP needs engagement with lots of people. This is both a strength to the process and a potential challenge.

An NP focuses on the specific needs of a specific neighbourhood - acknowledging the demand for affordable housing, for example, or improvements to pedestrian links, or the protection of open spaces or character/heritage buildings. 

To make an NP you will need to talk to lots of different people - including planners, council departments and other organisations, as well as your wider community. These conversations may help to influence further development and community projects.

The process is likely to take a minimum of 18 months. It can often take much longer, depending on how many policies you include and how ambitious your ideas are.

People leading the Neighbourhood Planning process are nearly always volunteers. The bulk of the work is often done by just a handful of committed people.

It requires a team of people with a range of skills who are willing to dedicate their time to the process.

If an NP is brought into force, Birmingham City Council (the local planning authority) will need to consider it before making planning decisions in your area. NPs can outline the way in which sites are chosen for development. They can protect green spaces that are valued by the local community.